Aide to Sen. Booker arrested inside Capitol for carrying a gun

An aide to Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, was arrested Monday night inside the U.S. Capitol for carrying a pistol without a license, the U.S. Capitol Police said Tuesday.

Police said Kevin A. Batts, 59, of New Jersey, bypassed security screening at the Hart Senate Office Building on Monday afternoon, led by “a member of Congress” who is not subject to the metal detector process. Police declined to identify the member of Congress.

Around 6:30 p.m., Batts, a retired Newark police officer, informed Capitol Police he was armed. He was taken into custody and issued the misdemeanor gun charge.

Capitol Police noted that all weapons are prohibited from Capitol grounds, even if the person has a permit or license in D.C. or any state. The charge did not appear in D.C. court records Tuesday afternoon and it could not be determined whether Batts has hired an attorney. Batts is listed on Legistorm.com as having been a special assistant to Booker since 2013. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Booker’s office did not immediately return a call seeking comment. A spokesman for Booker said in an email that the senator’s office “employs a retired Newark police detective as a New Jersey-based driver who often accompanies him to events. We are working to better understand the circumstances around this.”

The arrest occurred shortly before Booker began a marathon speech on the Senate floor at 7 p.m. Monday, in which Booker said he was speaking because “threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them.” Booker was still speaking as of 4 p.m., 21 hours after beginning.